India has over 14 million people trapped in slavery, says survey

New Delhi: India has nearly 14.3 million people, including children, “trapped” in modern-day slavery, ranking fifth in a list of countries brought out by the Global Slavery Index 2014, followed by Pakistan and with Mauritania topping the list.

According to the survey by anti-slavery campaign group Walk Free, 1.1409 percent of the people in India are in some form of slavery — forced labour or victims of trafficking, debt bondage, sexual exploitation for money and forced or servile marriage.

The survey says India has the most slaves overall and Mauritania has the highest percentage at four percent of the population.

The Walk Free Foundation in Perth in Australia says that India and Pakistan account for 45 percent of the global total, which is an estimated 35.8 million people enslaved.

Walk Free says it found evidence of slavery in all 167 countries it surveyed.

The report says Africa and Asia face the biggest challenges in eradicating slavery, while the practice is least prevalent in Europe.